Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The disappeared person in charge of the manual.

My disappeared fifty million won.

And the Blood Bathtub intended as a gift had also disappeared (planned).

“…….”

The bigger problem was that Brown, the very party who demanded the gift, was currently inside my bag pocket….

‘He’s probably hearing everything, shit….’

It felt uncomfortable in many ways to leave him at home, and I carried him around because I didn’t know when I would enter a ghost story again, but it felt like it backfired instead.

This was like… the feeling of promising a gift to a nephew on Christmas Day, only to see a sold-out sign on the display shelf when going to the department store.

Except that nephew was Annabelle.

“Whew….”

A sigh escaped me naturally.

‘For the person in charge to be absent without leave for a week without notice in this world universe….’

It was obvious.

This meant they had been swept up in a ghost story and gone missing.

“Just wait leisurely. That’s good for your mental health.”

If someone else buys the Blood Bathtub first in the Alien Shop while I wait leisurely, I will fail to keep what I ‘promised’ to Brown!

I do not want to get on the bad side of a stuffed doll that burned an A-grade Dark entity to death with a single snap of its fingers…!

‘This is killing me, seriously.’

Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je patted my shoulder and returned to her seat, while I sat down and agonized in silence.

What should I do.

Should I wait for two months in anxiety and, if the bathtub gets sold in the meantime, bow my head and apologize?

Should I somehow pull a loan?

Or else…….

‘…For now, should I at least find out why they went missing?’

It wasn’t necessarily just to use it as an excuse like ‘I did my best.’ What if I could find the coordinator without major difficulty or danger?

The <Records of the Dark Exploration> was still inside my head and my smartphone.

‘Let’s just check.’

As it happened, work had become quite leisurely after the theme park. Furthermore, I had finished the paperwork for one ghost story exploration yesterday.

This meant that today, I could leisurely mess around as long as I didn’t blatantly escape outside the company.

‘Even my superiors are only popping in and out of the office.’

Of course, since I had the absolute lowest seniority, I decided to move around for just about an hour after lunch.

The first place to go would be….

‘As expected, it would be the coordinator’s desk.’

* * *

Ding.

The elevator door opened.

Of course, I had also prepared an excuse for this visit.

-Roe Deer says he wants to visit the coordinator’s office at least once? Gosh… then take this and go visit!

Because the soft-hearted supervisor let me deliver a ‘training completion certificate that didn’t particularly need to be given right now, but would be accepted without question anyway’ on his behalf.

‘Thank you, Supervisor Park Min-sung….’

In a ghost story world overflowing with psychopaths, how warm a choice this was.

I entered the Administrative Support office and looked for the employee to hand the document to. He happened to be sitting at the desk next to the empty manual coordinator’s seat.

“I’ve brought the document from Supervisor Park Min-sung of Group D.”

“Uh? Put it there.”

“Yes. Ah, and this….”

I politely held out the envelope I was carrying to the clerk, who was typing on the PC with bored eyes without even turning to look at me.

Inside, golden-brown donuts sprinkled with sugar and stuffed with plenty of vanilla cream were still warm.

And even iced Americanos.

‘As expected, a bribe is essential for this kind of work.’

“I bought some while buying our snacks. I thought it would be nice to have while working.”

“…! Ah, why are you bringing all this.”

Even so, the hand reaching out to receive the Americano and donuts was swift. As expected of an office worker.

“Supervisor Kang, share this.”

“Uh? It’s donuts?”

“That person bought them.”

“Wow, thank you! Are you from Group D?”

I watched as the administrative staff bit into the donuts, and the office atmosphere strangely drifted into a tea time.

An atmosphere of sharing trivial small talk.

It was a good time for a stranger to fit in smoothly. Even more so for a snack provider.

I picked the timing reasonably and spoke up.

Looking right at the empty seat of the manual coordinator, ‘Lee Byung-jin.’

“Excuse me, should I just leave a coffee at Manager Lee Byung-jin’s desk as well? He doesn’t seem to be at his seat….”

“Ah, just take it with you. He hasn’t even come to work.”

“Ah, he is on vacation.”

“Vacation? Gosh, he’s missing.”

Hooked.

As if not particularly feeling sorry, the employee in the next seat spoke casually while exchanging glances with the employee across.

“Honestly, I knew it would turn out like this.”

“Hey, hey.”

“Why, rumors will circulate anyway? The Group D person there, you said you were a rookie, right? What is your name?”

“Kim Sol-eum.”

“…! Uh, by any chance the one who almost joined Group A?”

“Mmh, fortunately, I think they looked upon me favorably.”

“Wow.”

From somewhere around, whisperings like ‘So that was the Group D rookie’ were also heard.

The employee in the next seat slyly scanned me from head to toe as if seeing me in a new light, then subtly hid his indifferent expression and spoke.

“Well, since you’ll end up finding out anyway while continuing to work here, I’ll tell you,”

Mmh.

“No, even while working in this company, there are bound to be people who pick up strange things without knowing any better and then go missing.”

“Pardon?”

I furrowed my brow on purpose as if in thought and asked.

“By any chance… is that also why he cannot come to work?”

“Exactly. That… what was it? Scroll rod?”

“Hanging scroll, hanging scroll.”

When the person opposite replied as if giving up, the employee next to him giggled.

“Ah, right. Hanging scroll. He said something about buying a hanging scroll that bursts with monetary luck… and subtly bragged that he won second place in the lottery after buying it.”

Oh.

Bragging about bursting with monetary luck after buying a suspicious hanging scroll, and then going missing?

‘A typical secondhand item ghost story….’

The composition is a complete cliché.

‘Mmh, good.’

I decided quickly.

‘Let’s pull out.’

If I intervene just to get my money a bit faster, I might not escape turning into a corpse.

So I was preparing words like ‘Wow, that’s really scary! Well, I shall head out now….’

“Anyway, at this rate, it’s a bit unfortunate for you.”

For me?

“Hey, why say something like that!”

“No, but it’s true. The Dark anomaly that entered the manual revision review is yours, right?”

Yes.

“It will be hard to pass that if it isn’t the missing Manager Lee.”

…?!

Wh-what does that….

“That manager was originally close to Group A. You know how it is. The so-called… ‘same line’.”

“…!!”

Line.

The root of company politics.

A side-choosing interpersonal relationship divided by which higher-up one is close to!

And the missing coordinator was someone who was particularly close to Group A, riding the ‘same line’ in vulgar terms…?

Realization struck like lightning.

‘So that was why Group A’s leader spoke with such confidence!’

No wonder they were so confident in the speed of the manual revision!

“Honestly, it’s an unknown how the new person will be… but the probability of someone from the same line being appointed is low. Someone from Director Cheong’s side will probably come?”

“…….”

“Their relationship with Group A is not exactly… well.”

Did I just hear it?

The sound of fifty million won evaporating.

It wasn’t coming late; it was disappearing altogether…!

‘No!’

Without realizing it, I opened my mouth.

“By any chance, where did that coordinator disappear from….”

“Actually, there is a fun rumor about that too.”

The person in the next seat lowered his head and spoke in a whisper to me.

“There is a rumor that he disappeared inside the company.”

“…!”

“There was someone who said they met Manager Lee in the lobby as he was coming to work in the morning? But he didn’t enter the office.”

“…Did he disappear midway?”

“Well, in truth, who knows. Nobody can guarantee it. Since nobody saw him disappear in person.”

“…….”

Nobody saw him… I see.

‘Even if there are no people, there could be other things.’

I raised my head.

In a corner of the office, the red light of a CCTV camera was shining.

* * *

CCTV.

If he really went missing inside the company, naturally, records might remain on that device.

‘Usually, if it’s a security CCTV used in a company of this size… would they keep it for about two weeks.’

If so, it would still be checkable.

To pocket fifty million won on time, grasping the missing person’s whereabouts was urgent.

…The problem was.

‘The one managing CCTV records in this company… is the Security Team.’

And the Security Team is… mmh.

———————=

Has permission to shoot to kill. (Applicable to all employees)

———————=

Indeed.

So I wanted to avoid facing them in many ways, but….

‘Since I’ve joined anyway, it will be impossible not to see them for the rest of my life.’

Since things have turned out like this, let’s check for the sake of gathering information as well.

Conscious of Brown in my pocket once more, I headed to the first floor.

Right to the Safety Control Room where the Security Team is.

“Do I just go to the basement from here.”

On the outer edge of the first floor, there was an authorized-personnel-only door leading to a separate basement space, and descending the stairs a bit from there, this iron door would be visible.

[Safety Control Room]

I raised my hand.

Knock, knock.

-…….

Knock, knock.

-Enter if you want…….

“…??”

I cautiously opened the door.

Then, in a narrow space like a typical facility office, a worn-out sofa placed in the center was visible.

Over it, a single person was sprawled.

He was a security staff wearing a worn navy blue uniform.

……?

“Hello….”

I swiftly scanned the person’s uniform name tag.

[Security Team 3 Leader J3]

“Excuse me, Leader. By any chance, is it possible to check the CCTV records from a week ago? There is someone who went missing….”

“…….”

A slow reply returned.

“You want to see the CCTV….”

“Yes.”

“Ah….”

The opponent looked exhausted and annoyed by everything.

The Team 3 leader, who was lounging on the worn sofa omitting even an introduction, slowly opened his mouth.

“Originally, if you want to see it, you must submit a CCTV viewing request form……”

Ah.

“Since when has this company cared about such things… just watch it.”

“…….”

Should I call this kind, or dereliction of duty.

Anyway, since I was the one asking, I poked him with the remaining snack as a bribe first.

“I thought it would be good to have as a snack….”

“Ah, donuts.”

His face, which had not a speck of energy, brightened in a flash, and he quickly raised his body from the sofa and snatched the bag.

“I like donuts, but there is no place that delivers to the company… because I cannot go outside during the day, I don’t get to eat them very often……”

I see.

‘Surprisingly, he doesn’t look that violent.’

However, in ghost stories, there is also the cliché of ‘someone who doesn’t seem like it but is actually a ghost.’

Maintaining my alertness still, I spoke softly.

“Then is it okay if I move to the CCTV room like this?”

“Yes……. But.”

The employee, scratching the back of his head, stared at the donuts as if in agony and was silent for a long time, before slowly starting to speak.

“There is one guard left, so view it accompanied by him……. It could be dangerous……”

“Ah, thank you.”

I waited for the opponent to call a guard with a walkie-talkie or something.

Yet there was no movement.

“…?”

“…?”

“You said you would attach a guard….”

“Me……”

The opponent pointed at himself.

“I’m saying that’s me……”

…….

“Ah… yes.”

‘Let’s not get involved.’

I must quickly view only the CCTV and leave.

“You said it was a week ago, right….”

“Yes, yes.”

Anyway, I entered the CCTV room with the security leader and checked the recordings.

My suspicion deepened since his device operation did not look very skilled despite being a security leader, but what was important was something else.

“Found it.”

I found the recording where the coordinator was captured.

I identified a middle-aged man entering the lobby and taking the elevator.

It matched the face of Manager Lee Byung-jin, the coordinator registered on the company intranet.

And the elongated object held in his hand.

‘Is that a hanging scroll rod.’

It was certainly not an object to bring to the company. It was chilling somehow.

“You find it well. You could be a security guard….”

Do not say such scary words.

“Thank you. I think it is because I focused since I was trying to find the missing person.”

“……A missing person?”

“Yes.”

The opponent became silent as if a bit flustered.

Apparently, he had heard what I said earlier half-heartedly and recognized it just now for the first time.

The fact that the Security Team did not know a person had evaporated inside the company.

“We missed this……”

“Are you in a lot of trouble?”

“No……. It wasn’t my shift either.”

“…….”

“They’ll take care of themselves……”

Yes….

I have heard your clear shift-work office worker logic well.

Anyway, as a result of checking even the elevator CCTV subsequently, I was able to confirm where the missing coordinator got off.

The surprising thing was…… that the coordinator did not go to the upper floors.

“…He went down to the basement.”

A floor even lower than this Safety Control Room.

[B2]

The sight of him stumbling out on the second basement floor was clearly captured on the CCTV.

… Chilling.

‘What on earth happened?’

Why did an administrative staff suddenly go down to the basement as if possessed.

‘That’s a place where only the Security Control Department has access rights.’

Even the Security Control Department reportedly only goes on patrols there, so what on earth was this.

Cold sweat ran down.

I hurriedly averted my gaze from the empty elevator.

‘From now on, I feel like even me viewing the CCTV would be dangerous.’

Even if I had managed to view it roughly under false pretenses until now, it wouldn’t do here.

The basement floor of a strange pharmaceutical company that obtains raw materials from ghost stories.

A place where even regular employees have no access rights and do not know what is happening?

‘Even in the <Records of the Dark Exploration>, it was described like some kind of rules-based creepypasta!’

This won’t do. Let’s wash my hands and get up.

Averting my eyes from the CCTV as much as possible, I bowed my head to the security leader.

“Thank you for showing me. Well, I shall now….”

“……Toilet.”

“…?”

“The person you are looking for. He entered an unused men’s toilet in the basement……”

“…….”

“He hasn’t come out. For a whole week.”

I desperately did not look at the CCTV.

However, this security leader seemed to have already checked the fourth basement floor, where the missing person entered and exited, swiftly of his own accord.

“Do you want to visit the toilet……?”

“I have no access rights to the basement floors.”

“I am going, though….”

Yes. Since it is your workplace, I suppose you would.

If you go and find the missing person, I would be really gratef…….

“Let’s go together……. We can just say you are a Security Team rookie or something.”

Pardon?!

“No, even if you don’t go that far,”

“Let’s go….”

No!!

* * *

How on earth did things end up in this state.

‘I even received a uniform.’

I was riding the maintenance elevator while wearing the navy blue uniform of a regular Security Team member.

My mind was in a daze as to what kind of situation this was.

‘I was persuaded….’

-It’s okay. The Field Exploration Team also occasionally comes for support shifts…….

Isn’t that a disciplinary measure?

At any rate, it had unfortunately been certified that even if words got out about me entering the basement, it wouldn’t escalate into any major trouble.

Since I also stubbornly contacted Group D and processed it as an official support shift, there wouldn’t be any disciplinary issues….

Should I say it was fortunate that my corporate life toward my superiors bore fruit.

‘Still, I’m dazed.’

I came all the way here just to buy a single Blood Bathtub.

At this point, even if I cannot pull fifty million, Brown should acknowledge my efforts.

Ding.

Along with the elevator sound, the doors opened.

Second basement floor.

Even though it was clearly the exact same sound, it sounded dreary somehow. What revealed itself was….

A hallway lined with ordinary offices.

“…….”

Why… is there an office in the basement?

‘Shouldn’t there be safety equipment or facilities here…?’

The office hallway, with its slightly dark illumination, was very quiet, and there were opaque glass doors everywhere.

Nameplates like Office A, B, C… were attached.

The security leader whispered.

“Do not open the doors….”

“Yes.”

Even if you hadn’t said those words, I had absolutely no intention of touching them with a single fingertip.

I walked slowly, looking solely at the security leader’s back.

It was then.

-Mr. Roe Deer?

“…!”

-To think you are wearing such worn-out clothes just to give a gift to this Brown! It is truly touching, but it also breaks my heart. Must my friend do such menial chores?

They were truly grateful words.

However.

‘…How are you talking to me?’

‘Good Friend’ could only talk and move inside a ghost story…. Which meant.

I was already inside a ghost story.

“Ah, we’ve arrived.”

The security leader stopped his steps.

In front of the toilet door leaking pale light.

“I’ll open the door….”

“Wait,”

But before he could even hear my words, the toilet door opened.

Creak.

While the light flickered, the space beyond the door revealed its appearance….

“…….”

‘Crazy shit.’

The toilet was drenched in dark red ink.

As if an artery had been stabbed with a knife, the erupted ink covered the entire toilet mirror like blood.

I froze completely.

Not even a scream came out.

However, in the next moment, my sense of smell woke my reason.

‘There is barely any smell of iron.’

That wasn’t all blood.

Yet it wasn’t the smell of general ink either. This was….

‘…Calligraphy ink?’

Tap, tap.

Brown tapped me from my pocket.

‘Warning.’

My mind snapped awake.

The security leader reached out his hand while looking around the toilet.

“Do not touch……”

Poke.

“Yes…?”

Fucked up.

The moment the security leader poked the ink with his index finger.

The dark red liquid in the toilet began to whip around like a tidal wave.

“…!!”

I tried to turn back and run immediately, but the thick black liquid surged like countless hands, swallowing my feet and pulling them,

Argh!!

‘Shit, shit…!’

I barely fell flat without tumbling over. Due to my struggling, the liquid splashed up to my chin. Curses welled up right below my jaw.

The moment I turned my head to grasp the situation somehow, the source of it caught my eye.

“The hanging scroll!”

On the toilet mirror, there was a hanging scroll whose center had been slashed to pieces.

Ink like blood was being sucked into the inside of the empty hanging scroll that was covered in knife slashes.

Which meant that my feet were also being dragged toward it.

As if a living creature was pulling…… Wait, living?

Like blood?

‘Vampiric Tableware…!’

I pulled out the fork and stabbed it into the floor.

The pure white silver fork trembled violently, beginning to greedily absorb the surrounding ink.

“Ah!”

Something was working!

However, it was not enough for a finger-sized dessert fork to hold out.

Ting.

The cutlery bounced out.

‘Shit!’

I was sucked straight into the hanging scroll just like that.

* * *

“Gasps!”

I raised my head.

Between my dark and hazy vision, wallpaper with old, crinkled patterns caught my eye.

It was an unfamiliar place.

‘…An abandoned house?’

I caught my breath and waited for my vision to adjust to the darkness.

And then, and then….

I realized.

What I saw wasn’t wallpaper.

Talismans.

On all the walls made of completely decayed wood, worn-out talismans were stuck in patches.

“……!”

It was heavy.

As if the air was pressing down on my shoulders, a strange sense of pressure ruled over this dark and cool interior.

……Something went wrong.

I felt like a mouse that had sneaked into the wrong place in the wrong way.

“…….”

I tightly clenched my trembling fist.

Yet nothing was caught.

‘…It’s gone.’

The Vampiric Tableware had disappeared.

Sweating cold sweat, to prevent hyperventilation, I slowly, slowly breathed…….

“Excuse me…!”

I thought I was going to faint.

“Th-there! By any chance, are you a police officer…??”

I raised my head.

I was not alone in the dark abandoned house.

Small figures crouching in that corner over there were looking at me.

They were… children.

‘Middle school uniforms.’

The sobbing students shouted.

“Please help us! W-we touched something like a strange drawing, and we cannot get out of here!”